The Baking Habits of The Early American Hero
by killbothtwins
Summary: Post Civil War, Captain America is lonely and bored. Of course, he takes up baking as a hobby.


Steve is adjusting… okay, considering the mess that is his life.

He doesn't regret any of his actions, except maybe keeping the details of his parents from Tony. He doesn't regret breaking the law, any more than he did when he rescued the 71st in the war.

Wakanda really is a beautiful place for Steve to mostly adjust. After Steve had broken his team out, some of them had come back with him. Clint had said something about taking his family to an apartment building in Bed-Stuy, and Scott had returned to his daughter after a week or two.

Sam had stayed, though, and Wanda. Wanda spends most of her time exploring Wakanda and meeting people who appreciate her gift. Sam watches re-runs and learns a bit of Wakandan.

Steve talks to Bucky.

T'Challa is already having some of his scientists work on a new arm. He'd also come up with a new shield, this one with no star. "You do not think perhaps you should find a new hobby?" The new king of Wakanda suggests with amusement, from the doorway where he'd been listening to Steve tell Bucky about his and Wanda's training.

"Like what, your highness?" Steve asks, resting a hand on Bucky's case.

"The kitchen is open." T'Challa suggests.

* * *

Steve can't bring himself to make a lot of foods; Tony loved banana cake, Nat loved pasta drenched in butter, Rhodey would kill for a good garlic bread, Bucky used to love any kind of baked potato.

One thing that holds no painful memories is cupcakes. So that's what Captain America makes.

Probably an excessive amount of them, if Sam's face when Steve offers him another box is any indication. Sam has been watching a lot of Saved by the Bell, lately.

Steve gets more and more creative with what he does with his finished confectioneries, since literally no one in the palace will take them any more.

There turns out to be a lot of confused Wakandans accepting red velvets and smores, smiling politely at him. Janitors suddenly find themselves with generous gifts of fresh, delicious cupcakes.

Steve likes baking; it's therapeutic.

Wanda helps sometimes, if she's bored. There's red streams of lights winding their way around the kitchen when she does, spilling flour and chocolate chips into mixing bowls far more accurately than Steve could ever do.

It's nice. It gives him something to do other than think of the pale face frozen in the glass case deeper into the castle.

* * *

Steve's addressing a priority package when T'Challa and Sam come in, probably having gotten into mischief, judging by the looks of their faces. T'Challa is eating a cupcake with one hand.

"Tony Skunk," Sam reads off the package. "Please don't tell me you're sending your cupcakes to Tony Stark."

"That is not what the package says." T'Challa grins and points out.

"I had too many." Steve says defensively. "They're going to go bad!"

"You could stop making them." Wanda suggests as she walks in, her guitar floating behind her and seeming to strum itself.

Steve sighs, long-sufferingly.

"You're sending him some of the strawberry ones?" Sam asks, peering into the box and looking offended. "You only made those for me once."

Steve slaps his hand away. "There's twenty more in the kitchen."

Sam lights up and trots away.

* * *

"Tony Skunk?" The elderly delivery man reads. Rhodey chortles with absolute glee.

Tony sighs and accepts the box, shutting the door before any more embarrassing nicknames can be brought up.

"What is it?" Natasha asks curiously.

Tony opens it up, and blinks. "Cupcakes." He says.

"What?" Rhodey says, and hobbles over to see. "Huh. Those sure are cupcakes." He agrees.

They smell super delicious, actually, a neat row of about twenty cupcakes of different flavors.

"They're from Steve." Natasha notes, pulling out a sticky note that reads in their former captain's handwriting not to eat them all at once.

She snatches a chocolate cupcake out of the box before Tony can grab them away.

"Hey, it's addressed to me." Tony complains.

"I don't see your name on it anywhere, Stank." Natasha says, taking a large bite and managing not to smudge her lipstick.

It's a little weird, that this is the first communication that they've had from the other half of their former team since the cell phone, but it's also surprisingly touching. Tony's not tearing up.

"The strawberry ones are good." Rhodey has one shoved in his mouth already while Vision tries to sneak up and filch one. The dude can't even eat.

Tony, offended, grabs a birthday cake cupcake. It's delicious, of course. It figures Rogers can bake, too.

* * *

"Captain America sent us cupcakes again!" Lila calls to the rest of the family. While for some of the Barton family, this would have been overwhelmingly exciting news even a month ago, it's met by a chorus of groans. Even Little Nathaniel Pietro makes a small, frustrated baby noise.

"We can give some to Simone and the kids." Clint suggests, bouncing Cooper on his shoulders. "And St. Agnes' could use some sweets."

"Aww, they're delicious." Laura grins, snagging a butterscotch, her favorite. "And it's a very nice gesture."

"I can't ever eat another cupcake." Lilah complains. "Captain America needs to chill out."

* * *

The day that Bucky gets woken up, free of brainwashing, Steve is waiting outside, wearing a grin.

"Cupcake?" He offers, and the two throw themselves into a hug.

"This is good." Bucky says, snatching the cupcake out of his best friend's hands with his same assassin-like grace. "You make more of these?"

"Dude, you have no idea." Sam grumbles, walking by, as Steve kicks him in the shin.


End file.
